I just checked my milk carton and it says it has 9g of protein per cup (250ml).
This means 4 cups of milk is about 1 scoop of whey protein. I usually have two protein shakes a day. Isn’t this the exact same thing as having 8 cups of milk a day?
Grams of protein in 4-5 cups of milk would be roughly the same as two scoops of protein powder.
However, with the powder you get different ratios of different types of proteins than would be found in the milk, as well as any number of benefits like added amino acids, etc.
The protein powder is also much lower in carbs (and fat if it isn’t skim) than milk, so its a good protein source that is (nearly) carb free.
To answer you question: no, you do not need protein powders. If you can get all of your daily protein from whole food sources then more power too you. In my experience most people can’t get an adequate amount of daily protein without a shake.
Also, the main component of protein in milk is casein protein. About 80%.
Your body absorbs casein protein much slower than whey.
A big glass of skim milk before bed with half a tub of fat free cottage cheese is often recommended for its slow absorption properties.
Otherwise, whey is absorbed quicker. Great for after-workout and something for in-between meal hunger.
As gone heavy states above, GOOD whey protein with plenty of bcaa’s seem to have the leg up on good old fashioned milk.
Fake Edit: Utilizing BOTH casein and whey is good. So, drinking milk and whey shakes would work too. Just don’t drink them together.
So what is a good whey protein?
The reason I ask is because I would like to reduce my powder substance intake by 50%. It just seems unnatural to be drinking all this sand.
I use Optimum Nutrition Gold.
24g whey, 5.5 bcaa’s, 1 carb, 1g sugar, and 2g fat per serving.
Hard to beat.
It’s not cheap, but it gets a 5 star rating from me.
What are things to look out for in whey protein that make it good? What’s a bcaa?
[quote]Dissonance wrote:
Just don’t drink them together. [/quote]
I tend to do this. Why the suggestion not to pair them?
I see it as a good way to get a stack of calories in after I train. I don’t do it beforehand because the milk makes me feel a little queasy, especially if I’m squatting or deadlifting.
If you drink a lot of milk and have a few shakes a day the likelihood of them sitting together in your stomach at some point is pretty high anyway.
[quote]Tommy28 wrote:
Dissonance wrote:
Just don’t drink them together.
I tend to do this. Why the suggestion not to pair them?
[/quote]
Casein protein takes up to 4-5 hours to go through the metabolic process, whey takes 20-60 minutes to be fully coursing through your system, AA spikes, and completed with the metabolic (synthesis/oxidation) phase.
When you take both, the casein can act as a slow agent, or ‘binds’ the whey reducing the speed it can act.
In other words, the strength of whey protein is that it floods your system with AA’s and synthesis FAST. Casein does this at a much, much slower rate and at a much less impact/spike.
It gets a lot more complicated, but this is the basic explanation of these two particular proteins. There is also some division of thought when it comes to combining these two together. I am sure some will disagree with me here, but that’s the whole point of havinf a public forum on the issue afterall.
I only use whey before and after I workout.
I dont take shakes during the day.
[quote]thekrown wrote:
What are things to look out for in whey protein that make it good? What’s a bcaa?[/quote]
Low fat, low carbs (if you dont want carbs), low sugar. BCAA’s are Branched Chain Amino Acids. These are basically metabolized in muscle rather than the liver. Building blocks and stuff.
here’s a good reason to have a whey shake instead of milk:
lactose intolerance, way more common than you think
[quote]thekrown wrote:
Do We Really Need Whey?[/quote]
Simple answer : No. Whey isn’t a necessity, but it’s really beneficial.
Use it.
[quote]thekrown wrote:
So what is a good whey protein?[/quote]
Check out Grow! Premium Quality Whey sold through the Biotest Store on this site.
I doubt you’ll find a better deal on top-quality whey that includes free shipping.
[quote]Mod Brian wrote:
thekrown wrote:
So what is a good whey protein?
Check out Grow! Premium Quality Whey sold through the Biotest Store on this site.
I doubt you’ll find a better deal on top-quality whey that includes free shipping.[/quote]
x2
One benefit of whey isolate is its high BV.
[quote]Mod Brian wrote:
thekrown wrote:
So what is a good whey protein?
Check out Grow! Premium Quality Whey sold through the Biotest Store on this site.
I doubt you’ll find a better deal on top-quality whey that includes free shipping.[/quote]
Grow! Whey + BCAA’s + vits would be bueno
[quote]thekrown wrote:
So what is a good whey protein?
The reason I ask is because I would like to reduce my powder substance intake by 50%. It just seems unnatural to be drinking all this sand.[/quote]
Just to clarify…you are trying to cut your protein supplement (i.e. protein powder) usage by fifty percent?
You stated in your original post that you drink two shakes a day consisting of one scoop each, is that correct? If you are only drinking two scoops a day, I wouldn’t worry. Hell, I drink two scoops (or more) per shake.
No that’s not what I meant. I will clarify. Currently I take two scoops of whey per day in two shakes. I want to reduce it to 1 scoop and replace the other with milk or something else.
[quote]cyph31 wrote:
here’s a good reason to have a whey shake instead of milk:
lactose intolerance, way more common than you think[/quote]
Not a sound argument, as about 90% of the whey used in shakes is derived from cow’s milk if I’m not mistaken. I overlooked this and just made my problem worse over time.
Funny story:
Living with my fellow aesthetically-and-strength oriented roommate last year was great. There was always plenty of protein, supps, grilled chicken, veggies and eggs everywhere: the cabinets, fridge, tables, floors, etc etc. It was like a NOLA Vitamin Shoppe post-Katrina.
Anyway, on one particular night, we were out of ANY protein powder PWO. How this happened, I have no idea, but probably had something to do with our lack of funds and bounty of bills.
However, we did have a gallon of milk on hand.
Well, milk has sugar (albeit, lactose is not the most efficient PWO) and both whey and casein aplenty! We can drink this gallon of milk between us, and we will be Men among men.
…perhaps needless to say, within an hour of our pounding the jug, IT began. What shall heretoforth be called the LACTOSE WARS
Episode 1: The lower GI tract begins to be confused with the massive amount of lactose that has just been shoveled into it. Unabled ot break it down, it begins to play a strange musical instrument that reverberates growling sounds through the intestines
Episode II: The GI cavity begins to take on water and gas, inflating to the size of DEATH STAR PROPORTIONS. AX jeans are not fitting like they did 20 minutes ago. Put on looser-button down to hide the bubble-gut.
Episode III: The lower GI tract, afraid of imminent explosion, begins to release massive amounts of noxious gasses into the atmosphere,widening the ozone layer, and causing all mallards in a 20mile radius to fly south for this Nuclear winter
Episode IV: House party attended. Brewed-beverages consumed. Anal Sphincter clenched tight. Painful smiles maintained.
Episode V: House party evacuated, not due to police raid, but rather, speculation that gas stove may be leaking and filling the house with gasses about to be ignited by our rastafarian brethren. Rumor appears to be started by two muscular, well-dressed confident men, so it is obviously true.
Episode VI: My roommate and I, successfully defeated by one gallon of the white demon (skim, of course), retire to our apartment, and then our separate living quarters, until our period of uncleanliness and gastrointestinal thunder passed. A priest, rabbi, and Buddhist Monk were called in to perform the cleansing the following day.
So, in short, milk is a great asset, but calorically dense (with sugar, more than 1/2 cals) and inappropriate to use as often as a pure protein supp. In moderation, a valauble tool.